The ҹɫƵ’s Orvis School of Nursing (OSN), Nevada’s first and longest-standing nursing school, and , the largest not-for-profit academic health system in the region, were recognized for their exceptional academic partnership. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has selected the as a winner of the 2025 AACN .
The annual awards program honors AACN member institutions that establish outstanding and model academic-practice partnerships. To be selected, academic-practice partnerships must demonstrate an innovative and sustained relationship that extends beyond clinical placements, present positive outcomes that are measurable, show a commitment to the and be in place for at least one year.
Awards will be officially presented at the AACN Academic Nursing Leadership Conference, held at the JW Marriott Washington in Washington, D.C., from Nov. 1-3, 2025.
“Winning this award affirms a partnership that goes far beyond student placements or tuition support. It’s truly bidirectional: Renown nurses enrich our curriculum and mentor our learners; OSN faculty collaborate inside the health system to strengthen care delivery; and together, we’re advancing nursing science through our joint work to establish an embedded Nurse Scientist at Renown,” said Charlie Yingling, DNP, dean of the Orvis School. “This is how academic–practice partners should function—improving how we educate, how we practice and most importantly, how our community receives care.”
“The Gerald ‘Jerry’ Smith Academic Practice Partnership is delivering measurable impact: 100% nursing licensure exam pass rates in our first three cohorts, stronger nurse residency completion rates and 62% of Academic-Practice Partnership students are from underrepresented backgrounds,” said Molly Kokenge, Ph.D., RN, CNL, CEN, OSN’s associate dean for strategic partnerships and practice. “Together, we are building a sustainable and diverse nursing workforce to meet Nevada’s critical healthcare needs.”
Established with the in May 2023, the Gerald “Jerry” Smith Academic-Practice Partnership provides full-ride scholarship funding for up to 24 nursing students per year, along with a guaranteed career in nursing with Renown following graduation and license obtainment. The Academic-Practice Partnership is named in honor of the late Jerry Smith of the Nell J. Redfield Foundation and supported by a generous lead gift from the Redfield Foundation and Stephanie Kruse, Renown Health Foundation board member and former board chair, to create a sustainable nursing workforce in northern Nevada.
“This national recognition from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing is a powerful affirmation of our mission to save lives, nurture minds and care for all people,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, president and CEO of Renown Health. “By partnering with our academic nursing colleagues at the University, we are strengthening the future of nursing, advancing excellence in patient care and ensuring that the next generation of caregivers is prepared to meet the evolving needs our community. Congratulations to all on this significant achievement!”
“Receiving the Exemplary Academic-Practice Partnership Award affirms the power of our people-first culture, where our nurses, students and educators are supported and empowered to cultivate the next generation of nursing excellence,” said Melodie Osborn, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, chief nurse executive at Renown Health. “Right now, Nevada ranks 47th in registered nurses (RNs) per capita by state. As Nevada continues to face a critical nursing shortage, with over 4,000 additional RNs needed to meet the national-to-RN average, the Gerald ‘Jerry’ Smith Academic-Practice Partnership is stepping up to fill in those gaps by enhancing the pipeline of nurses in our state. We are proud to be a national example for academic-practice partnership success.”
Since the launch of the Gerald “Jerry” Smith Academic-Practice Partnership, annual OSN pre-licensure nursing program admissions have grown from 184 in 2023 to 192 in 2024, with a target of 256 by 2027, representing a 39% increase in just four years. One hundred percent of students in the first three cohorts passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on their first attempt. In addition, 62% of participants self-report affiliation with a racial or ethnic minority, 26% are first-generation college students, 20% are Pell Grant-eligible and 6% are veterans.
"We are grateful this collaborative partnership started with and continues to be fueled by generous community philanthropy,” said Greg Walaitis, chief development officer of the Renown Health Foundation. “Jerry Smith had a vision, and he would be incredibly proud of this award. It is inspiring to witness the growing impact of our Academic-Practice Partnership, and achieving this national recognition is just the beginning.”
The Academic-Practice Partnership is funded by the Renown Nursing Excellence Endowment Fund. To date, 60 students from the Orvis School of Nursing have been accepted into the Academic-Practice Partnership, with a nearly 100% retention rate. The participants have benefited from $2,505,780 in tuition support thanks to the generosity of donors and the vision of the late Jerry Smith. All students participating in the Academic-Practice Partnership also participate in .
